Method of forming a lined carton



March 17, 1964 E. L.. ARNESON METHOD oF FORMING A LINED CARTON 2sheds-sheet 1 Ailecl Jan. 25, 1961 March 17, 1964 E. L. ARNESON METHOD0F FORMING A LINED CARTON 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENToR. Ida/fz l. @7269072,

Filed Jan. 23, 1961 United States Patent C 3,124,915 METHD F FRMING ALINED CARTGN Edwin Il. Arneson, Morris, lill., assignor to Federal PaperBoard Company, Inc., Bogota, NJ., a corporation of New York Filed lian'.23, 1961, Ser. No. 84,141 Claims. (Cl. 53-27) This invention relates topackaging and is more particularly concerned with improvements in acarton of the type which is provided with a liner of plastic lm orsimilar material and a method of fabricating the carton and liner andthereafter filling and closing the same.

It is a general object of the invention to provide a carton formed ofpaperboard of similar material and having a bag-like liner formed of aflexible iilm which is associated with the blank when the carton isfabricated and subsequently forced into the interiod of the carton so asto take the shape of the latter and assume a position closely adjacentto the interior Wall surfaces.

It is a more specific object of the invention to provide a carton and amethod of forming the same wherein a paperboard blank is cut and scoredso as to divide the same into a series of connected wall forming panels,with one of the panels having an opening therein with an area somewhatless than the panel area, and a sheet of transparent film material issecured over the opening, the film material being of a type which may bestretched when softened by heat and wherein the cut and scored blank isfolded and the wall forming panels are connected so as to form acollapsedcarton which may be set up when required for use and the lmmaterial heated and stretched through the opening into the interior ofthe carton to `form a liner therefor.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a method of forming alined carton which comprises cutting and creasing a paperboard blank todivide the same into a plurality of connected wall forming panels, withone of the wall forming panels having an aperture therein, applying asheet of plastic iilm material over the aperture with its marginssecured to the outside surface of the panel around the periphery of theaperture, folding the cut and creased blank and connecting the wallpanels so as to bring the wall panels into collapsed carton formingrelation, and subsequently heating and stretching the filmmaterialthrough the aperture into the interior of the carton, after thecarton is erected, so as to form therefor a continuous bag-like linerwhich hugs the interior wall surfaces thereof and which has its mouthforming margins anchored to the outside carton Wall surfaces adjacentthe aperture,

It is another object of the invention to provide a method of forming apackage wherein a lined carton is initially formed from a paperboardblank in a collapsed and flattened condition with one ofthe wall formingpanels thereof apertured and having a sheet of plastic film secured overthe aperture and wherein the carton is subsequently set up and theportion of the film covering the aperture is heated and drawn by iiuidpressure or vacuum through the aperture and into the interior of thecarton to form therein a liner and linally the carton is filled throughthe aperture and the aperture is sealed by covering thesame withaclosure forming member.

These and other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparentfrom a condsideration of the carton and the method of forming, fillingand closing the same which are shown by way of illustration in theaccompanying drawings wherein:

FIGURE l is a perspective view of a paperboard carton which isconstructed in accordance with the principles of the invention, thecarton being shown in erected and closed condition without contents;

3,124,915 Patented Mar. 17, 1964 ICC FIGURE 2 is a cross section takenon the line 2-2 of FIGURE 1, to an enlarged scale, and with portionsbroken away;

FIGURE 3 is a partial cross section, as in FIGURE 2, but illustratingthe use or a plug-type cap as a closure for the liner opening;

FIGURE 4 is a plan View, on a reduced scale, 0f a blank which is cut andcreased preparatory to forming the carton illustrated in FIGURE l;

FIGURE 5 is a plan View of the blank of FIGURE 4 folded and secured incollapsed position ready for erecting into the carton of FIGURE l;

FIGURE 6 is a side elevation, largely schematic, illustrating a methodand apparatus for applying the liner forming sheets to the cartonblanks;

FIGURE 7 is a side elevation, largely schematic, illustrating a methodand apparatus for setting up the cartons, heating and stretching theliner sheet, iilling through the liner aperture, and closing the same;and

FIGURE 8 is a plan view of the apparatus shown in FIGURE 7.

Referring to FIGURES 1 and 2 of the drawings, there is iliustrated inerected and closed condition a carton l0 which is fabricated inaccordance with the principles of the invention and which isparticularly adapted for use in packaging products, such, as, forexample, frozen foods of various kinds. The carton iti, as shown, isprovided with a liner 11 which is formed of a iilm material stretchedthrough an aperture l2 in the one wall of the carton and a closuremember in the form of a flat sheet 13 which is secured over the apertureafter the carton is filled. Alternately, the closure member may be aplug-type cap 14 as shown in FIGURE 3.

The carton 1t) may be of several different forms, only one of which isillustrated in the drawings and will be hereinafter described in detail.In the form illustrated it is fabricated from a blank l5 (FIGURE 4)which is cut from a generally rectangular sheet of paperboard or similarbendable and foldable material. The blank 15 is divided bylongitudinally spaced, parallel, transverse crease lines 16, i7, 1S and19 and transversely spaced, parallel, longitudinal crease lines 2i) and20 into aplurality of connected wall forming panels comprising a sidewall panel 2l, a top wall panel 22, another side wall panel 23, a bottomwall panel 24 and the glue tlap 25, these panels and the glue flap beingconnected in hinged relation in the order named. The two side wallpanels 21 and 23 are each provided at their opposite ends with a pair ofcorner connecting flaps 26, 26 and 27, 27 which are adapted to be foldedabout the longitudinal score lines The top wall panel 22 is providedwith lateral extensions which are adapted to hinge about the score lines2t?, 2d and which are divided into end wall forming panels 28 and 2Swith each of these end wall panels having a closure flap 3@ and 36extending along the outer edge thereof and separated therefrom by thecrease lines 31 and 3l', the latter having slits 32, 32 at the endsthereof which are slightly offset outwardly thereof. The cornerconnecting flaps 26, 26 and 27, 27 are each cut away along onetransverse edge at 33, 33 and 34, 34 to provide small locking tabs 35,35 and 36, 36.

An aperture 12 of substantial size is cut in the top wall forming panel22 and a transparent plastic sheet 37 is secured to the margins 3S ofthe wall panel 22 around the apertureV l2. The sheet 37 is a plastic lmof a type which is stretchable when heated to the proper temperature sothat it may be readily formed or shaped while in heat softenedcondition, for example, Pliofilm, polyethylene, or the like, The plasticsheet 37 may be applied over the opening l2 and secured to the outsideface of the margins 38 of the top wall panel 22 by a suitable adhesiveeither during the process of cutting and scoring the blank 15 orsubsequent thereto.

The blank 1S, when cut and scored as shown, with the liner forming sheet37 secured on the panel 22, is formed into a collapsed carton by foldingthe end section occupied by the panel 24 and the glue ap 25 about thescore line 18 after a suitable adhesive is applied to the glue flap 25so as to bring the bottom Wall forming panel 24 into superimposedrelation with the adjoining side wall panel 23 and portions of the topWall panel 22. The side wall panel 21 at the end of the blank is thenfolded about the score line 16 into engagement with the glue flap 25which brings the panels into the the position shown in FIGURE andcompletes the carton in the collapsed form in which it is supplied tothe user.

A suitable apparatus for applying the liner forming lm sheet 37 to acarton blank 15 is illustrated in FIG- URE 6. A supply of the cartonblanks 15 are placed in an inclined magazine 40 and transferred insingle le relation, by a feed wheel 41 to the top run of a horizontallydisposed endless conveyor 42 which is carried on a pair of rotatablymounted, spaced end supports 43 and 44, either of which may be driven bya suitable power source (not shown). Successive blanks 15 are picked upfrom the feed wheel 41 by pusher ngers 45 on the conveyor 42 and carriedin a horizontal plane beneath the adhesive applying roller 46 which hasstencil pads on its peripheral surface, as indicated at 47, for applyingadhesive to the margins 38 of the top wall panel 22, the adhesive beingreceived on the pads 47 from a fountain supply apparatus 48. Theadhesive coated blank then advances beneath a drum 49 which applies aliner sheet 37. The drum 49 receives the liner sheet 37 from a supplyroll 50, successive sheets being cut from the supply web by a cut-offdevice indicated at 51. The drum 49 holds the sheet 37 on the surface bysuction and operates in timed relation to advance of the conveyor 42 soas to apply successive sheets 37 to the oncoming blanks 15 on theconveyor 42 after which the blanks are passed between a pair of pressurerollers 52 and delivered into a stacking conveyor 53 in a conventionalmanner.

The cartons with the liner sheets 37 attached are supplied to the userin flattened and collapsed condition and equipment is provided forsetting up the carton, completing the formation of the liner, and llingand closing the lined carton With the desired product. Equipmentsuitable for this purpose is illustrated schematically in FIGURES 7 and8. It comprises a vertically disposed magazine 60 for receiving a stackof the collapsed cartons which is positioned at one end of ahorizontally disposed endless traveling belt conveyor 61. The conveyor61 is supported on spaced end rollers or sprockets 62 and 63 andprovided with spaced pairs of carton gripping fingers 64. A suction feeddevice 65 is supported in vertically reciprocating relation at thebottom of the magazine 60 for gripping the lowermost wall of the bottomcarton in the stack and withdrawing the same downwardly so as to open upthe carton into tubular form between a pair of grippers 64 which aremoved by the conveyor 61 beneath the magazine 60 where they aresupported in carton receiving position on guide bars 66 extending alongthe upper run of the conveyor. The opened up carton is advanced betweena pair of rotating flap closures 67 and 67 which are laterally spaced atopposite sides of the conveyor 61 and which are rotated on vertical axesin timed relation to the movement of the carton so as to close thetrailing end flaps 27, 27. The leading end flaps 26, 26' engage with theends of vertically disposed folding ploughs 68 and 68' positioned at thesides of the path of the conveyor 61. The end wall forming panels 28, 28and their associated closure flaps 30, 30' are folded downwardly andtucked into the carton by engagement With ploughs 70 and 70' which arealso arranged on opposite sides of the conveyor 61. The tucked end apsare releasably retained in tucked position by engagement of the smalllocking tabs 35, 35' and 36, 36 in the slits 32, 32' provided at theends of the hinge lines 31, 31. A heating unit 71 extends above theconveyor 61 from the folding station to a point beyond the end of theconveyor 61 where the set up and closed carton is delivered to aplatform 72 in front of a pusher 73, the platform being arranged at oneside of a forming chamber 74. The chamber 74 comprises a bottom or basesupporting member 75 and a vertically reciprocable closure member 76.The base 75 is provided with a guide member indicated at 77 for properlypositioning the carton thereon as it is delivered from the platform 72.The base 75 has a conduit 78 connecting the same with a vacuum pump 8)While the reciprocating top chamber forming member 76 has a conduit 81for connecting the same to an air pressure pump or supply line (notshown). A reciprocating pusher 82 is arranged at the one side of thebase member 75 for removing the cartons after the forming of the lineris completed. The lined cartons are delivered from the vacuum chamber inhorizontally disposed, single file relation between a pair of side guidemembers 83, 83 and advanced by the pusher 82 or by a conveyor (notshown) to a filling spout 84 which delivers the product to the interiorof the carton through the aperture 12. The lled cartons are thenadvanced to the closure applying station where the closure sheet 13 isapplied to complete the package.

As indicated in FIGURES 7 and 8, the stretching or forming of the linersheet 37 may be accomplished in the vacuum chamber 74 by applying airpressure to the outside face of the sheet so as to blow it into theinterior of the carton or Vacuum may be applied to the interior of thecarton to suck the sheet 37 into the same. Ordinarily, the cartoninterior may be evacuated by withdrawing air through the openingsbetween the interfolded wall panels. The wall panels may be providedwith small holes or perforations, as illustrated in FIGURES 4 and 5, tofacilitate the Withdrawal of the air, particularly, when the carton isof a type which is completely glued up. The invention is, of course, notlimited to the particular carton structure shown but is applicable toother similar carton constructions.

While specific materials and particular details of construction havebeen referred to in describing the illustrated forms of the invention,it Will be understood that equivalent materials and Variations in thedetails of the construction may be resorted to within the spirit of theinvention.

I claim:

l. A method of forming a lined carton which comprises forming a cartonwhich has, when set up, top, bottom and side walls with an aperture ofsubstantial size in one of the walls providing an opening of lesser sizethan the apertured Wall into the interior of the carton and with certainof the other Walls being perforated, securing over said aperture a sheetof plastic lm which is stretchable Without rupture when heated bysealing the marginal portions thereof to the outside face of theapertured Wall around the entire periphery of the aperture, heating thellm until the portion thereof extending over said aperture is softenedso that it will stretch and applying a vacuum through the perforatedwalls of the carton to stretch the softened lm and pull the same intocontact with the interior surfaces of the walls of the carton so as toconform substantially to said wall surfaces and form a seamless linertherefor.

2. A method of forming a package Which is characterized by an outercarton member having an opening of substantial size in a wall thereofand an inner bag member of lm material forming a liner therefor with thebag member having the mouth forming marginal portions thereof sealed tothe outside surface of the wall of the carton around the periphery ofsaid opening, which method comprises cutting and scoring a blank formingsheet of paperboard material to divide the same into carton Wall formingpanels with one of the panels having an opening of substantial size,securing on the outside face of said one panel a sheet of plastic filmmaterial which is stretchable without rupture when softened by heat withthe film material being secured by sealing the marginal portions of thesheet to the outer face of the panel around the periphery of theopening, folding the cut and scored blank and securing the panels inconnected relation so as to provide a carton, heating the film until itis softened, stretching unsecured portions of the softened film into thecarton through the wall opening by application of fluid pressure to forma liner, inserting a product in the lined carton through the wallopening and the mouth of the liner thus formed, and closing the wallopening and the liner mouth by providing a sealing member and securingthe same over said opening and mouth to form the final package.

3. A method of forming a package which is characterized by an outercarton member having an aperture of substantial size in a wall thereofand an inner liner forming bag member of film material with the bagmember having a mouth forming portion thereof sealed to the outsidesurface of the carton around the periphery of the aperture, which methodcomprises cutting and scoring a paperboard blank to divide the same intocarton forming wall panels with one of the panels having an aperture ofsubstantial size, securing over the aperture in said one panel a sheetof film material which is stretchable without rupture when softened,folding the cut and scored blank and securing the panels in connectedrelation so as to provide a carton, treating the film so that theportion covering the aperture is softened, forcing the softened portionof the film by differential ailpressure through the aperture and intoengagement with the inside Walls of the carton, filling the lined cartonthrough the aperture, and closing the aperture to form the finalpackage.

4. A method of forming a container which is characterized by an outercarton member having an opening of substantial size in a wall thereofand an inner liner forming bag member of film material with the bagmember having mouth forming margins thereof sealed to the outsidesurface of the carton wall around the periphery of said opening, whichmethod comprises cutting and scoring a paperboard blank to divide itinto wall forming panels with one of said wall forming panels having anopening of substantial size therein, said opening having its edge spacedinwardly of the edges of the panel, covering the opening with a flatsheet of plastic film which is stretchable without rupture when softenedby heat, sealing the film margins to the outer surface of the panelaround the periphery of the opening so that the film is disposed in theplane of said panel, connecting certain of the panels so as to form acarton in collapsed and flattened condition, squaring up the collapsedcarton and folding the panels to close all sides of the carton, heatingthe portion of the film covering the opening until it is softenedsufficiently to be stretched and creating a pressure differentialbetween the inside of the carton and the outside surface of the filmsufficient to stretch the softened portions of the film over the openinginto the carton through said opening and into engagement with the insidewalls of the carton whereby the bag forming member provides a seamlessliner in the carton with its mouth forming margins sealed to the outersurface of the Wall of the carton surrounding the opening.

5. A method of forming a container which is characterized by an outerpaperboard carton and a seamless inner liner of plastic film materialwith the mouth forming margin of the liner sealed to the outside surfaceof the carton around the periphery of an opening in a wall of thecarton, said method comprising cutting and creasing a paperboard blankto divide the same into wall forming panels which are adapted to befolded and joined to form a collapsed and flattened carton, one of saidwall forming panels having an opening therein which is of substantialsize and which is of lesser area than said one panel, certain of saidpanels having relatively small perforations in portions thereof,covering the opening in said one wall forming panel with a sheet ofplastic film which will stretch when softened by heat, sealing themargins of the film to the outside face of said one wall forming panelaround the edges of the opening so that the film is disposed in theplane of said one Wall forming panel when the carton is in collapsedcondition, setting up the collapsed carton, heating the plastic filmuntil it is softened sufficiently to stretch and stretching the filminto liner forming relation within the carton by applying a vacuumthrough the perforations in the panels.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS564,340 Reed July 21, 1896 1,692,986 Hardy Nov. 27, 1928 2,328,798Gardner Sept. 7, 1943 2,364,012 Walton Nov. 28, 1944 2,365,159 WaltonDec. 19, 1944 2,409,736 Caimi Oct. 22, 1946 2,712,382 Clarke July 5,1955 2,736,065 Wilcox Feb. 28, 1956 2,872,760 Meissner Feb. 10, 1959

1. A METHOD OF FORMING A LINED CARTON WHICH COMPRISES FORING A CARTONWHICH HAS, WHEN SET UP, TOP, BOTTOM AND SIDE WALLS WITH AN APERTURE OFSUBSTANTIAL SIZE IN ONE F THE WALLS PROVIDING AN OPENING OF LESSER SIZETHAN THE APERTURED WALL INTO THE INTERIOR OF THE CARTON AND WITH CERTAINOF THE OTHER WALLS BEING PERFORATED, SECURING OVER SAID APERTURE A SHEETOF PLASTIC FILM WHICH IS STRETCHABLE WITHOUT RUPTURE WHEN HEATED BYSEALING THE MARGINAL PORTIONS THEREOF TO THE OUTSIDE FACE OF THEAPERTURED WALL AROUND THE ENTIRE PERIPHERY OF THE APERTURE, HEATING THEFILM UNTIL THE PORTION THEREOF EXTENDING OVER SAID APERTURE IS SOFTENEDSO THAT IT WILL STRETCH AND APPLYING A VACUUM THROUGH THE PERFORATEDWALLS OF THE CARTON TO STRETCH THE SOFTENED FILM AND PULL THE SAME INTOCONTACT WITH THE INTERIOR SURFACES OF THE WALLS OF THE CARTON SO AS TOCONFORM SUBSTANTIALLY TO SAID WALL SURFACES AND FORM A SEAMLESS LINERTHEREFOR.